The microphone curse

U.S. President Barack Obama is reputed for his communication skills. His speeches are made up of short sentences of simple words and prove highly persuasive. Obama, however, has made gaffes. In the 2012 Seoul Nuclear Security Summit early this week, he told Russian President Dmitri Medvedev that he will have "more flexibility" on the sensitive issue of the missile defense system in Europe after the November presidential election. Obama did not know that his words were being picked up by microphones. Russia has protested the U.S. and European defense strategy of intercepting missiles flying to Europe. Obama`s political adversaries in the Republican Party jumped on his comments, which gave the impression that Washington was willing to make concessions to Moscow on the missile defense system.

Another Obama microphone gaffe occurred in November last year at the G-20 summit in Cannes, France. Unaware that he was being recorded, he and French President Nicolas Sarkozy backbit Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in a private exchange. When Sarkozy called Netanyahu a "liar," Obama said, "You`re fed up with him? I have to deal with him every day." Before making a public speech in his presidential election campaign, former U.S. President George W. Bush told his running mate Dick Cheney, "There`s Adam Clymer, major league asshole from the New York Times." The comment was delivered directly to the audience through an open microphone.

In 2010, British Prime Minister Gordon Brown was caught on a live microphone calling an elderly woman peppering him with difficult questions a "disaster." He later visited her house to apologize in person. Sometimes, a microphone gaffe can boost a politician`s popularity. Before making a radio speech, former U.S. President Ronald Reagan said as a soundcheck, "My fellow Americans, I`m pleased to tell you today that I`ve signed legislation that will outlaw Russia forever. We begin bombing in five minutes." Many listeners laughed at his sense of humor through deriding communists.

A communication guru once blamed words as the fundamental cause of all problems among people. In all times and places, lips have been the source of all disasters. Fortunetellers often warn people to be careful about a slip of the tongue. These days, just a touch of a smartphone screen can record anyone. Nevertheless, silence is not golden but one must be careful.

Editorial Writer Chung Sung-hee (shchung@donga.com)